CNA debates expansion of sorghum planting in Brazil

The Brazilian Agriculture and Livestock Confederation (CNA) participated, on Friday (21/10), in a meeting with Embrapa Milho e Sorgo to discuss the expansion of sorghum planting in the country.

At the meeting, the president of the CNA Cereals, Fibers and Oilseeds Commission, Ricardo Arioli, stated that sorghum is an interesting option for the off-season, especially where the planting window is not favorable for corn cultivation.

“Brazil is the 8th largest producer and 10th largest exporter of sorghum in the world. So we need to study implementation in the most adapted regions and structure a buyer's market so that its cultivation is financially viable”, said Arioli.

Embrapa researcher Frederico José Botelho presented the program to encourage the expansion of sorghum in Brazil, which aims to promote the increase in cereal cultivation to expand food production and support the animal protein chain.

According to Frederico, sorghum is a crop with multiple uses and used in animal and human food, as well as for the production of ethanol. In Brazil, its use is restricted to the production of feed or forage. “Sorghum is one of the best opportunities to increase grain production in Brazil. To achieve this, we are building a network of scientific knowledge that will be translated into innovation and market strategies,” he explained.

The general head of Embrapa Maize and Sorgo, Frederico Ozanan Machado Durães, commented that Embrapa has been working with culture for over 40 years and that at the moment the work is focused on defining a governance plan with the public and private sectors. “The strength of the CNA is important in the + Sorgo Brasil Program, mainly due to its capillarity and sectoral intelligence”, he highlighted.